Means for adjusting and indicating the travel of machines or instruments operated by the core or armature of an electromagnet



E. C. VILLIERS.

MEANS FOR ADJUSTING AND INDICATING THE TRAVEL 0F MACHINES OR INSTRUMENTS OPERATED BY THE CORE 0R ARMATURE OF AN ELECTROMAGNET.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.12. 1918.

1,361,935, Patented Dec. 14,1920.

q I 5. Q) I 5 I I I M l k 51 k "a K) E) m/awak E. c. VILLI EHS. I MEANS FOR ADJUSTING AND INDICATING THE TRAVEL 0F MACHINES 0R INSTRUMENTS OPERATED BY THE CORE OH'ARMATUHE OF ANELIICTROMAGNET.

APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 12. 1918.

1,361,935, Pategted Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- EDWARD C. VILLIERS, 0F H ENDERSYDE, ASCOT, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR ADJUSTING AND INDICATING- THE TRAVEL OF MACHINES OR INSTRU- MENTS OPERATED BY THE CORE 0R- ARMATURE OF AN ELECTROMAGNET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed November 12, 1918. Serial No. 262,243.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD CEoIL VIL- LIERS, citizen of Great Britain, residing at Hendersyde, Ascot, in the county of Berkshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Ad justing and Indicating the Travel of Ma chines or Instruments Operated by the Core or Armature of an Electromagnet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of means for adjusting and indicating the travel of machines or instruments operated by the core or armature of an electromagnet. It is capable of application to any mechanism which depends for its action upon the reciprocal movement of a core or armature in relation to the magnet or solenoid.

In order to explain my invention fully, I will now proceed to describe the same as applied to a solenoid and plunger as illus trated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 half a section on line 2"2 of Fig. 1, and half an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation, at right angles to Fig. 2, of the rim P showing the calibrated scale on its periphery. Referring to these figures, the throw or travel of the core or plunger A is limited in one direction by abutting against the brass cap or plate B on one end of the solenoid and in the other direction against the ledge C of asocketed collar C which is screwed upon an extension of the other end of the solenoid.

The solenoid illustrated herewith is composed of the coil D, and end plates E F made of soft iron, said plates being connected together by a soft iron cylinder G which incases the coil D. The terminals H H are mounted upon the casing G. The

interior end plate F is provided with a threaded tubular extension J, and it is upon this extension J that the collar C is screwed,

and a lock nut K is provided.

The fore end of the plunger A carries a continuation rod L and the rear end a continuation rod M in the reverse direction, such rods L M serving as guide rods working withinholes in the plate B and collar C respectively. The continuation rod L is provided with a pin y, Fig. 1, which screws into the same at right angles. The function of this pin is to enter a hole or slot throw, and the same would be substantially U true of any substitute mechanism to which,

instead of to the ratchet, the pin y might be connected. The longitudinal operative movements or throws of plunger or core A at regular intervals are due to the regular recurrence of intermittent electric impulses given to the coil D. These are governed by rotatory circuit making and breaking means actuated by the log of the ship or some other moving part corresponding in its motion to, or connected to and moving with, the vessel or vehicle the travel of which is to be recorded. Thus if the moving means of transport be a car, themechanism of the car may actuate the make and break.

It has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate in this case anything except the solenoid and its immediate connections; as the invention resides entirely in the means for adjusting the throw of the solenoid core, which in turn controls the recording mechanism not shown, the solenoid being intermittently operated by the movement of the ship or vehicle and intervening circuit making and circuit breaking mechanism (also not shown) as set forth.

The one direction of travel of the plunger A is. produced by the attraction of the energized solenoid and plates E F and the other by a spring N around the guide rod M acting in the contrary direction by pressure against a nut 0 upon such rod.

When the collar C is rotated in one direction or the other, the available distance through which the plunger A can travel is correspondingly lengthened or shortened as the case may be.

For this purpose the collar C is made turnable upon the thread of the tube J and a rim P on the surface of which a scale may be inscribed is connected with it by a train of gear wheels, somewhat after the fashion of a micrometer gage. Thus one rotation of the rim P will cause a number of rotations of the collar C, a suitable proortion being, for example, nine revolutions of the collar C to one revolution of the rim P in certain cases.

A suitable train for this purpose may comprise a toothed pinion Q of ample width, integral With the collar C. This gears into a Wheel R of larger diameter but slight thickness mounted on a shaft S carrying a small pinion T gearing into a relatively large Wheel U which is fast upon the rim P and is concentric therewith. The necessary reduction is, therefore, provided by arranging these gear ratios according to the scale marked upon the rim P. The bearings of the shaft S may be formed in a plate V fastened by screws to the cas in G.

%he rim P may be marked with any suit- 7 able scale, such as decimals of inches to a mile.

As an example of one useful application of my present invention, it may be mentioned that it will provide avery convenient means of causing an indicating or recording machine as actuated by the reciprocation of theplunger A, to alter either its pace or record its speed from one limit of the scale to the other, with the utmost minuteness, according to the throw of such plunger as regulated by the collar C which may be either manually or mechanically operated. Such graduations will be almost infinitely small if the train of mechanism actuated by the pin includes a magnetic or toothless friction pawl and ratchet, butwill be readily observable by means of the scale marked upon the rim P.

I claim 1. Means for adjusting and indicating the travel of machines or instruments operated by the core or armature of an electromagnet, wherein such core or armature is given a reciprocatory movement by the switching off and on of the magnetizing current, such means comprising a collar coaxial with the core, forming a stop or. abutment to limit the travel of said core in one direction, means for adjusting said collar in the direction'of its-axis, and a calibrated scale connected by gearing to said collar whereby the adjustment of the latter may be made and indicated.

2. Means for adjusting and indicating the travel of machines or instruments operated by the core or armature of an electromagnet, wherein such core or armature is given a reciprocatory movement by the switching off and on of the magnetizing current, such means comprising a collar coaxial with the core, a guide rod upon which the collar is free to slide and rotate, a ledge inside the collar forming a stop or abutment for the end of the core, a fixed threaded member in engagement with a threaded portion of said collar, gear teeth upon said collar, a train of gears connected therewith, and a calibrated rim at the other end of said train to actuate the same and indicate the ratio of instrument travel to the reciprocatory movement of the core.

3. Means for adjusting and indicating the travel of machines or instruments operated by the core or armature of an electromagnet, wherein such core or armature is given a reciprocatory movement by the switching off and on of the magnetizing current, such means comprising a collar coaxial with the core, a guide rod upon which the collar is free to slide and rotate, a ledge inside the collar forming a stop or abutment. for the end of the core, a fixed threaded member in engagement with a threaded portion of said collar, a spring for returning the core to the collar, a plate on the opposite end of the magnet adapted to limit the travel of the core in that. direction, a continuation rod on the end of the core sliding in a hole in the said plate, gear teeth upon said collar, a train of gears connected therewith, and a calibrated rim at the other end of said train to actuate the same and indicate the ratio which it is desired to read.

4. In combination with. a solenoid coil and connections for intermittently energizing it. a solenoid core movable longitudinally therein and provided with means of attachment for an indicating mechanism, a collar, which limits the throw of said core a threaded tubular extension projecting fixedly from the solenoid into the collar, the said collar having a screw thread on gagement with said extension for adjusting its limiting effect. a rotatable part which governs the adjustment of said collar, and gearing between the said part and said collar whereby the turning of said partwill advance said collar orcause it to recede.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD (J. vILLIERs. 

